In today's world, the key to intelligence and timely decisions is collecting and analyzing information from varied sources. Today, valuable insight and information for decision-makers increasingly comes from open sources such as Internet blogs, electronic publications, chat rooms, and video websites.

Observers are saying the spy culture needs to become more open to "open source" information, especially in a networked world. Analysts throughout the Intelligence Community need full access to open source materials so they can incorporate them into their classified products. This would require tools that allow integration of text, graphics, and video, as well as tools that allow rapid translation of text and audio.